Patrick Stone is Executive Chairman and Founder of Williston Financial Group, Portland, Ore.

The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 contained a provision that allows investors to defer or avoid taxes on capital gains if the money is reinvested in designated "Opportunity Zones." The goal is to generate economic activity in areas that once thrived but have fallen on hard times. More than 8,700 areas in the U.S. have been certified by the Treasury Department as opportunity zones.

This week's chart shows how home purchase mortgage applications in recent weeks have started to increase again, compared to the same week a year ago, after weakening slightly in the late summer months.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's latest Washington Update features MBA Director of Political Affairs Alden Knowlton, who discusses MBA's meeting with the Treasury Department; legislative developments; and New York's lawsuit filed against the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's latest MBANow video features MBA President and CEO Bob Broeksmit, CMB, who discusses his priorities and goals.

The Mortgage Bankers Association awarded Laura Sherrod, Director of Servicing Compliance and Learning Development with AmeriFirst Home Mortgage, Kalamazoo, Mich., with the first annual Ken Markison Legacy Achievement Award

In this  MBANow video, Jeff Jonas, President of Radian subsidiary Red Bell Real Estate LLC, discusses trends in appraisal technology and valuation data.

Hilary Pelican is Compliance Manager for Waterstone Mortgage Corp., Pewaukee, Wis. She is a Lubar BBA-Marketing graduate from the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee. She enjoys many hobbies, but mostly "unplugging" and exploring new places and cultures with her family.

Silverline is a Salesforce Platinum Cloud Alliance Partner headquartered in New York City with experienced, innovative consultants around the world. It is focused on developing powerful solutions, deployed on the Salesforce Platform and robust third party apps.

Denis Brosnan is President and CEO of Dallas-based DIMONT, provider of specialty insurance and loan administration services for the residential and commercial financial industries in the U.S.

Joe Welu is Founder and CEO of Total Expert, St. Louis Park, Minn., creator of a Marketing Operating System built to meet the unique needs of the financial services industry.